MCD CIO outlines chain’s free Wi-Fi

OAK BROOKIll. Guests at most domestic McDonald’s restaurants will have free access to wireless Internet connections, or Wi-Fi hot spots, by mid January, a change for the No. 1 burger chain that pits it more directly against coffee rival Starbucks Coffee, which has been long considered a place for Wi-Fi access.

The move will make Oak Brook-based McDonald’s the largest provider of complimentary Wi-Fi service among U.S. foodservice firms. Observers say it might also